Lesson ggg – Seventh Chords Introduction



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The dominant seventh chord is unique to each collection of diatonic seventh chords. It is the most important seventh chord in tonal music and as such has its own lesson (see Lesson EEE).


Activity 7.2:

In this activity you will examine the intervallic content of various seventh chords by identifying the quality of the triad and the quality of the seventh.
[For each question, the options for triad quality are “major,” “minor,” and “diminished.” The options for seventh quality are “major,” “minor,” and “diminished.”]
Exercise 7.2a:



[Fill in the blank:]

The quality of the triad is _______.

The quality of the seventh is _______.

[Answers: “diminished” and “diminished.” Response for correct answer: “Correct! The viio7 chord in G minor is a fully-diminished seventh chord.” Response for incorrect answer: “Incorrect. Check your intervals and try again.”]
Exercise 7.2b:



[Fill in the blank:]

The quality of the triad is _______.

The quality of the seventh is _______.

[Answers: “major” and “major.” Response for correct answer: “Correct! The IV7 chord in G major is a major-major seventh chord.” Response for incorrect answer: “Incorrect. Check your intervals and try again.”]
Exercise 7.2c:



[Fill in the blank:]

The quality of the triad is _______.

The quality of the seventh is _______.

[Answers: “major” and “minor.” Response for correct answer: “Correct! The V7 chord in C minor is a major-minor seventh chord.” Response for incorrect answer: “Incorrect. Check your intervals and try again.”]
Exercise 7.2d:



[Fill in the blank:]

The quality of the triad is _______.

The quality of the seventh is _______.

[Answers: “minor” and “minor.” Response for correct answer: “Correct! The ii7 chord in D minor is a minor-minor seventh chord.” Response for incorrect answer: “Incorrect. Check your intervals and try again.”]
Inversions of seventh chords:
As with triads, seventh chords may also be written in inversion. Because there are four distinct pitches in a seventh chord, there are, accordingly, four possible positions (determined by the lowest pitch). The following example shows the four positions of a ii7 chord in C major:
Example 4:


Like triads, inverting a seventh chord alters the intervallic relationships between the upper voices and the bass. The notation for labeling seventh chords indicates the intervals formed with the bass, although abbreviated notation is often used. For example, a seventh chord in first inversion contains the intervals of a 6th, a 5th, and a 3rd above the bass. Rather than write three numerals every time (), the convention is to assume the 3rd and simply write: . The following table summarizes the figured-bass signatures of the inversions of seventh chords, and gives the notational short hand in the rightmost column:


Position

Chord Member
in the Bass


Intervallic
Content


Figured Bass
Short Hand


root position

root

7

5

3



7

first inversion

third

6

5

3



6

5


second inversion

fifth

6

4

3



4

3


third inversion

Seventh

6

4

2



4

2


or

2


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